In some cases bladder stones do not cause any symptoms and are discovered as an incidental finding on a plain radiograph.

[2] Bladder stones vary in their size, shape and texture- some are small, hard and smooth whereas others are huge, spiked and very soft.

Over time, stagnant urine collects in the bladder and minerals like calcium start to precipitate.

Other individuals who develop bladder stones include those who have had spinal cord injury, paralysis, or some type of nerve damage.

Minerals such as calcium and magnesium crystallize into the stones, which then can cause such symptoms as lower back or abdominal pain or difficulty with urination.

Individuals who are paralyzed or are unable to adequately pass urine may require the use of small plastic tubes (catheters) placed into the bladder.

Urinary schistosomiasis, a disease caused by the digenean trematode Schistosoma haematobium, has been implicated in the development of vesical calculi.

They are almost always composed of calcium oxalate dihydrate and consist of a dense central core and radiating spicules.

Studies show that feeding newborn infants milk (mother's, cow or goat) with no substitutes or supplements until at least the third month has proven successful in preventing most stones.

For children with urinary stones, the evidence supporting treatment options is very weak and high quality trials are necessary to help guide clinical management.

[17] Cystolithotomy is a surgical procedure for the removal of bladder stones in the case that one has been deemed too large to pass naturally, such as developed jackstone calculi.

Aulus Cornelius Celsus wrote that Lithotomos developed instruments to break up and extract bladder stones.

[19] Celsus gave the first description of lithotomy as performed before and during his time, and the operation has ever since borne his name—the Celsian method.